The Second Encounter With Lily Evans
by jenbeecreativity
Summary: After his first disastrous attempt to befriend Lily Evans, Severus believes all hope is lost.  But then who is that knocking on the door?


_**THE SECOND ENCOUNTER WITH LILY EVANS**_

They were shouting again. The skinny, pallid boy flinched and tried to block out the noise, pulling a pillow over his head. The din simply grew louder, followed by a crash of breaking glass. His father had started throwing things again. Severus tried to force his mind to think of other things as he lay curled up on the bed.

He thought of Lily Evans. His disastrous attempt at revealing to her that she was a witch had only been two days ago. If only he had just kept his mouth shut! He had waited a year to tell her what he knew she was, and in one foolish moment he had ruined everything.

Severus groaned, rolling over onto his stomach. It was all Lily's stupid muggle sister's fault. If she hadn't been asking so many oblivious questions he wouldn't have been compelled to answer. Now Lily only knew him as the boy who called her a rude name. A witch. All that time watching her, hoping she had magic and then _knowing_ she did, planning when they would first meet, their first conversation. She would think him charming. They would go to Hogwarts (they would both be in Slytherin, of course) and eventually start dating, much to the jealousy of every boy in the castle.

But, no, he had to go and ruin their entire future with a few ill-timed words. Severus stifled a sob, shoulders shaking, as the shouting only grew louder downstairs. It just wasn't fair.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang out, clear and musical over the commotion downstairs. Severus paused, sniffling. Who ever came to see their family? The door went unanswered, his father paid no mind it and continued to shout, but curiosity got the better of Severus. He jumped off the bed, scuttling to his front window to get a look at the person at the door.

There was a shock of red hair, a pale yellow sundress, and a white arm reaching to ring the bell again. His heart stopped. It was Lily Evans.

He reeled in shock for a moment, staring down at her auburn head before pulling himself together enough to leave the window and get out the door. He ran down the upper landing, crashed down the stairs, and flew down the main hallway.

"Where do you think you're going, boy?" Severus heard a snide voice ask from down the hallway. He skidded to a halt, going stock still, shoulders hunched and eyes down.

"I'm answering the door, Father," he replied, trying to keep his voice strong.

"Look at me when you're being spoken to, boy!" his father barked, and Severus turned, limbs still frozen, eyes still downcast. He could see his mother out of the corner of his eye hunched on the floor of the living room, picking up pieces of a broken pitcher, one hand held over her left cheek trying to staunch the flow of what Severus knew to be blood. She sniffled and he felt a rush of anger towards the man in front of him, who spoke again.

"And what would you be doing answering the door and getting other people involved in our business?" he rasped.

"It's not- It's not involving anyone new. It's- a girl I know. Lily Evans. At- at the door." He inwardly cursed his stuttering. Why couldn't he be stronger against his father?

"Someone _you_ know? Who would be calling on _you?_" His eyes then got harder and he took a step towards Severus, growling, "It's another one of you freaks, isn't it? You've made a freakish friend and she's coming to visit, is that it?"

"N-no," Severus muttered, thinking fast, "She's not. She's normal. I'm-I'm trying to learn how to be normal from her,"

His father's face turned to an expression of outrage and Severus hastened to add, "but- but she doesn't know what I am- what Mom is- I won't tell her I swear." His father looked at him, eyes narrowed, trying to fish out the lie. Severus kept his eyes down, staring at the musty, fraying rug beneath his feet.

"Fine. But you don't bring your little tramp in here- understand, boy? We don't want anyone poking around. Now get the hell out of my sight."

Severus watched his father turn to reenter the living room, barking to his mother, "Haven't you got that cleaned up yet you daft cow? What the hell are you here for?"

Severus barely heard these remarks as he ran to the door, intent on chasing Lily Evans down the street before his father changed his mind. He was sure Lily must've left by now, given up, and he had to find her.

He wrenched open the front door and almost threw himself down the front steps when he saw, very close up, the red hair and startlingly green eyes of one Lily Evans, still waiting, two feet from the front door on the top step. He stopped abruptly, his mother's overlarge smock flapping obnoxiously and his long hair falling into his eyes.

"He-hello." he breathed, trying to keep calm as he reached behind him and pushed the door shut, muffling his father's cruel laughter and his mother's sobs. "What are you doing here?"

Lily looked flustered; her eyes were wide. "I found you in the phone book," she muttered distractedly, "Is that- your father in there?"

"Yes." he answered, short and bitter. His eyes raked over her pink cheeks, her wet eyes.

"Are you alright in there?" she asked, voice full of sympathy, and strangely enough it didn't annoy him. When most people asked about his home life, his bruises, the shouting that could be heard down the block, he couldn't bear to hear the pity in their voices. But with Lily Evans it seemed like she actually cared, actually wanted to help.

"It's usually like this." he said quietly, unable to tear his eyes from her face. "Can-can we walk? I don't really want to be here right now."

"Oh, of course," Lily said, her eyes still bright on his behalf, but her mouth in a smile. They moved to the steps and hit the sidewalk, walking side-by-side.

"I might believe you." Lily said as they walked, and Severus looked up at her in surprise.

"I mean, it sort of fits. I've been able to do these things, even Mom and Dad noticed- and I don't want to call it magic, but I know it's definitely something. Something's different about me. I want to know what it is."

Severus nodded vigorously. He couldn't believe his luck. Was everything not lost after all? She had come back, and she might even believe him?

They reached a street crossing and a couple of other pedestrians joined them in waiting for the light to change.

"I can't explain here," Severus muttered, "People aren't supposed to know about magic, about what we are. The Statute of Secrecy…"

Lily's eyes were wide. "Really? Why not? What's that?"

"It's a law. If people knew it would cause problems for…" he glanced around. There were definitely too many people. He wanted to be alone with Lily, and they couldn't talk about this stuff around muggles anyway.

She noticed the reason for his hesitation. "Do you know a place we could go to be in private?" she asked innocently, but Severus blushed deeply, looking down, willing himself to keep his voice steady.

"There's- there's a place by the play-park: the little wood. There's a clearing I like to go to think." He didn't tell her that he had never brought anyone there before, that the place was special to him, that he went there to escape, to cry, to dream, to be in peace. Somehow it didn't feel like he would ruin the magic if he brought Lily Evans there. It would just make it more sacred.

Lily's voice interrupted his thoughts. "That sounds perfect, um…" she stopped. "I don't even know your first name!"

"It's Severus." he said, heart pounding as he looked into those beautiful green eyes again.

"Severus." she mused, cocking her head to one side and looking at him. "I like it." And with that she turned, her russet hair swishing around her shoulders, and began to skip towards the play-park, beckoning him to join her.

Severus couldn't stop the grin that unfurled on his face as he hurried to follow.


End file.
